Dandelion and weed puller



Feb. 24, 1942.

c. A. BANTA 2,273,812

DANDELION AND WEED FULLER Filed April 12, 1941 INVENTQR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 24, 1942 r 'u N ITED STATES PAT ENT orr es DANDELION WEED :PULLER Clarence A. Banta, Alamosa, 0010. Application April 12, 1941, Serial No. 388,327

5 Claims.

gated handle member having attached to its lower end a swingable gripping jaw actuated by pressing the handle in the .lawn and releasing the same therefrom, whereby theuser of :the implement may stand in an'upright position when'removing dandelions and similar weeds from a lawn.

The invention also consists in certain other features of construction .and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dandelion and weed puller constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a Vertical sectional view thereof.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying I1 drawing, the improved dandelion and weed puller is generally designated by the reference numeral 5 and includes an elongated shaft 6 of a length that will permit the user of the device to stand in an upright position when removing dandelions and similar weeds from a lawn. The lower end 1 of the shaft 6 is slightly smaller in diameter than the main portion of the shaft and said end is formed with a slot 8 within which is pivotally mounted an arcuate-shaped arm 9, said arm being attached'within the slot by means of a pin or the like II].

A metal, sleeve l I is fixedly secured to and forms apart of the lower end of the shaft 6, said sleeve conforming in shape to the reduced end 1 to provide a shoulder portion I2. A slot I3 is formed in the sleeve l2 through which the armate-shaped armprojects. As more particularly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, the sleeve H extends below the shaftB, the lowermost end of the shaft resting upon opposed flanges i4 struck out and bent inwardly from the sleeve. By this construction, theshaft 6 and sleeve ll move in unison as the implement is actuated for removing dandelions and similar weeds.

Thejlower end-of the sleeve II is slidably "disposed in a cylinder l5, said cylinder being formed witha slot [6 complementary to the slot 1 3. One wail of the lowermost end of the cylinder I5 is bent inwardly as indicated at I! and has formed on the area which extends parallel to the rear wall it, a serrated tooth-like portion IS. The rear wall 18 projects below the teeth l9 and is formed with "penetrating prongs 20, the prongs 20 adapted'to be pushed into "the lawn when using the implement as will be hereinafter described.

,A coil spring 21 is mounted within the sleeve H, one end 22 thereof in engagement with the lower end of the shaft 6 while the other end 23 contacts the curved portion ll of the cylinder Hi. The shaft 6 and its sleeve H are urged downwardly within the cylinder l5 against the tension ofthe spring M to actuate the arm 9, and upon release of pressureon the shaft, said spring will return the same to normal position.

Thefree end of the arm}! is slotted as indicated at 24 and supports therein a plate 25 having teeth 26 formed on one edge thereof. The plate 25 is held within the slot by means of a cotter key or the like 21 and the teeth of said plate cooperate with the teeth IQ for pulling weeds from the lawn.

In the use of the implement, the end of the shaft 6 will be engaged and the prongs 20 pushed into the ground within the area of the dandelion or weed to be removed. As the shaft 6 is pushed downwardly, it moves within the cylinder [5 until the shoulder l2 abuts the upper end of the cylinder causing the arm 9 to swing outwardly on its pivot II] to the position shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. The release of pressure on the shaft 6 will permit the spring 2| to return said shaft to its normal position and the upward movement thereof will swing the arm 9 into the closed position shown in Figure 2 whereupon the dandelion or similar weed will be held between the teeth 19 and 26. An upward pull on the shaft to disengage theprongs 20 will remove the dandelion or similar weed held between the teeth.

Thus it will be seen that there has been provided an implement that will effectively remove weeds such as dandelions and the like in an easy and rapid manner while permitting the user thereof to remain in an upright position at all times. The implement comprises a minimum number of moving parts rendering unlikely damage other than resultant from ordinary use.

Also it will be understood, of course, by those skilled in the art that variations in the hereinabove described device involving the substitution of substantial equivalents for the devices de scribed are intended to be comprehended within the spirit of the present invention and that the invention is capable of extended application and is not confined to the exact showing of the drawing nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as do not affect the spirit of the invention nor exceed the scope thereof as expressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A garden implement of the character described comprising an elongated shaft, a cylinder for slidably receiving the lower end of said shaft, an arcuate-shaped arm pivotally mounted in the lower end of said shaft, said shaft and cylinder having aligned slots through which the intermediate portion of said arm extends, a gripping jaw carried on the free end of. said arm, and a serrated portion formed on the lower end of said cylinder cooperating with said gripping jaw to extract weeds upon the actuation of said shaft.

2. A garden implement of the character described comprising an elongated shaft, the lower end .of said shaft having a slotformed therein, a metal sleeve fixedly secured to the lower end of said shaft, a cylinder for slidably receiving said sleeve, an arcuate-shaped arm pivotally mounted in said shaft slot, said sleeve and cylinder having aligned slots through which the intermediate portion of said shaft extends, a gripping jaw carried on the free end of said arm, and a serrated portion formed on the lower end of. said cylinder cooperating with said gripping jaw for removing weeds upon the actuation of said shaft. I 3. A garden implement of the character described comprising an elongated shaft, a sleeve fitted to the lower end of said shaft, a cylinder for slidably receiving said sleeve, one wall of the lower end of said cylinder curved into appressed relation with the other wall to form a relatively closed end for said cylinder, an arcuate-shaped arm pivotally mounted in the lower end of said shaft, said shaft and cylinder having aligned slots through which the intermediate portion of said arm extends, a gripping jaw carried on the free end of said arm, and a serrated portion formed on the closed end of said cylinder cooperating with said gripping jaw for removing weeds upon the actuation of said shaft.

4. A garden implement of the character described comprisingan elongated shaft, a sleeve fitted to the lower end of said shaft, a cylinder for slidably receiving said sleeve, one wall of the lower end of said cylinder curved into appressed relation with the other wall to form a relatively closed end for said cylinder, an arcuate-shaped arm pivotally mounted in the lower end of said shaft, said shaft and cylinder having aligned slots through which the intermediate portion of said arm extends, spring means held within said cylinder having one end in contact with the lower end of said shaft and its other end in contact with the lower end of said cylinder, a gripping jaw carried on the free end of said arm, and a serrated portion formed on the closed end of said cylinder cooperating with said gripping jaw for extracting weeds on the actuation of said shaft, said spring being adapted to return said shaft to normal position upon the release of pressure thereon.

5. A garden implement of the character described comprising an elongated shaft, a sleeve fitted to the lower end of said shaft, a cylinder for slidably receiving said sleeve, one wall of the lower end of said cylinder curved into appressed relation with the other wall to form a relatively closed end for said cylinder, an arcuate-shaped arm pivotally mounted in the lower end of said shaft, said shaft and cylinder having aligned slots through which the intermediate portion of said arm extends, a gripping jaw carried on the free end of said arm, a serrated portion formed on the closed end of said cylinder cooperating with said gripping jaw for removing weeds upon the actuation of said shaft, and ground penetrating means formed integral with and extending from said cylinder.

CLARENCE A. BANTA. 

